


Piece By Piece

by Alexiel (Stormess)



Series: Life With Loki [2]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Healing, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Loki learns to trust again, Pregnant Reader, Pregnant Sex, Reader is a little badass when she wants to be, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Sassy Tony Stark, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-06-18 10:10:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15483423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stormess/pseuds/Alexiel
Summary: A continuation of my one-shot What Did You Just Say? after two of my fabulous readers asked for more to this little story!Neither of them were expecting a child, but when the reader finds out she's pregnant, Loki isn't sure what he's supposed to do. With his troubled past, and her hormones running amuck he's not sure how either of them are going to survive this pregnancy. The only thing he knows is that from the first moment he felt the presence of his child, he knew he couldn't leave.





	1. Eleven Weeks

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DustyLite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DustyLite/gifts), [Not_A_Care_In_The_World](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Not_A_Care_In_The_World/gifts).
  * Inspired by [What Did You Just Say?](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15472503) by [Alexiel (Stormess)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stormess/pseuds/Alexiel). 



> Dedicating the writing of this fic to DustyLite and Not_A_Care_In_The_World because they are the beautiful people who asked me to continue on with the telling of this story! Thank you both!
> 
> PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, REDISTRIBUTE, OR TRANSLATE THIS WORK ANYWHERE ELSE WITHOUT MY EXPRESS PERMISSION FIRST.

A little over a month ago, you had found out you were pregnant and had somehow managed to tell Loki that he was going to be a father. It had been a rocky start, to say the least, and things were still quite rocky between the two of you even after all of the talks you've had since then. Part of it was your hormones being in absolute chaos, the other part was that the two of you just didn't know how to exist together as soon-to-be parents. How were you supposed to have it all together when the two of you weren't even really 'together'?

You had discovered rather quickly that you were prone to morning sickness, though you had started calling it all day sickness. It made no sense to you while it was called morning sickness when you stayed sick throughout most of the day. That alone had put a strain on you because you couldn't trust yourself to get too far from a bathroom as you never knew when it was going to hit you.

The weight gain had come next, not a lot just yet, but you had definitely noticed the tighter fit of your clothes over the last week or so. Loki had pointed it out one morning when you had come in for breakfast, and it had ended in quite a spectacle in front of the entire team. With Loki partially fuming over being yelled at, and somewhat sympathetic that he'd actually made you cry. Though that in itself had him flustered, what was he supposed to do with a crying woman?

Now you were nearing the end of your third month of pregnancy, but you still felt like you had no idea how to handle all of this. The team had done their best to offer as much support as possible, but it was Steve and Bucky who usually brought the most comfort. Bucky would usually come bearing whatever food you were craving while Steve sat and brushed your hair as the three of you talked. They were like the big brothers you'd never had before, and their presence was something you desperately needed.

Sighing a little, you turned off the tv where you'd been watching some show Clint had told you about, too much on your mind to really focus on it. Loki hadn't been around in the last few days because he and Thor had been off doing whatever it was they did on Asgard when they had to go back. You found yourself missing him sometimes, wondering if he was okay if they were fighting. It was kind of odd really how the two of you had just moved in together, more or less.

Tony had made improvements to Loki's room in the tower so that it was now more like an apartment for the two of you. It was your choice to have your own room though, it just didn't make sense to suddenly act like a married couple when you obviously weren't.

Scoffing at the thought of that, you got up from the sofa and wandered into the small kitchen in search of some of the nectarines Bucky had brought you the day before. Finally finding one, you cut it into slices and then retreated to the sofa to stretch out and enjoy your fruit. It helped calm the craving almost as soon as you took your first bite, the sweetness flooding your mouth and pulling a pleased sigh from you.

Curling your legs up to the side, you indulged in the fruit until the front door banged open, smacking the wall hard enough to leave a dent behind. In the doorway stood a ragged looking Loki, his armor torn and dirty from whatever battle he'd been through. Your mouth fell open just slightly before you flung the bowl onto the coffee table and leaped off the sofa to hurry over to him.

“My god what happened to you, Loki? Are you okay?” You asked as you ducked under his arm so that you could help support him enough for him to get to somewhere he could sit down.

Grunting a little at being made to move, and from having to accept help, he grudgingly let you lead him over to the bathroom and sit him down on the counter since he was so tall, “You can thank Thor for this...”

Frowning a little at that statement, you reached up and took his helmet off, ignoring the questioning look he was giving you, “I'll talk to him later after I've gotten you cleaned up and make sure you're okay.”

He was the one frowning now as he tried to gently bat your hands away from his armor, but you weren't having any of that and only swatted his hands back, “Either help me get this off or be still!”

Loki's eyebrows raised a little at your snappy tone, but he relented for the moment and started helping you to undo and remove his intricate armor. Things were quiet other than the sounds of his armor being removed, and his occasional intake of breath when he had to move too much. But between the two of you, you managed to get his armor off so that you could at least inspect him and see what the damage was.

Lifting the side of his tunic, you frowned even more at the bruising on his pale skin and the large gash that went from the middle of his ribs almost down to his hip, “So tell me what happened on Asgard that could cause you to get hurt like this.”

It was definitely not a question, and Loki seemed to realize that as soon as you spoke because you could see the amusement dancing in his eyes, “Thor thought it wise to put down an uprising of Rock Trolls.”

You rolled your eyes at that as you wet a cloth and carefully cleaned the blood away from his side, “And that automatically involves dragging you with him? Typical.”

Shaking your head, you paused to rinse out the cloth before continuing your work on his side, “Why didn't you go to the healing baths instead of coming back here?”

Loki grunted as you cleaned a particularly tender spot, casting his gaze to you for a long moment, “I don't know why.”

Glancing up at him caused your eyes to meet as you stood up straight, holding that gaze for a few moments longer before you looked away to rinse out the cloth and then lay it over the side of the sink for now. Turning back to him, you lifted the tunic up until he got the hint to take it off, letting you drop it off to the side with his armor. Normally you were sure he could use his magic to do all of this, but he was allowing you the intimacy of doing it for him.

Taking the cloth up again, you started to wipe down his chest and arms, feeling a little awkward as you did though. After all, this was still Loki and this was a sort of intimacy that the two of you hadn't shared yet. Sex was one thing, but this was care in a way that was all too similar to what a wife would do for her husband. You both knew it but neither of you said anything about it, and it was probably better that way honestly.

When you finished cleaning his upper body you had to discard the cloth, tossing it over into the hamper before looking back at him, “Will you be able to sit on the stool and lean back enough to let me wash your hair in the sink?”

He gave you a long look before he finally nodded, “If you think you can manage it quickly enough.”

Rather than replying, you went over and pulled the stool over for him, helping him up and letting him position it before he sat down. Grabbing a towel, you put it behind him to help cushion the counter edge for him as he leaned back and let you guide him into place. You didn't waste any time on getting started once he was there though, turning on the water and setting it to a warm temperature before getting to work.

You were careful as you worked, seeing the jagged cut at his temple and not wanting to cause him anymore discomfort than he was already in. He stayed still while you wet his hair and then worked the shampoo into it, scrubbing gently to ensure you could rinse out all the dirt and muck from the fighting. It was an easy task really, and he was being quite helpful for once, making it go much quicker because of it.

It took a couple of rinses before you had gotten his hair as clean as you could for the moment, reaching over and getting another towel before you wrung the water out gently and then helped him sit up. Standing close at his side, you used the towel to gently towel his hair to get the worst of the water out of it. He offered no warning when he suddenly pulled you around in front of him, pulling a startled squeak from you as the god rested his forehead against your stomach.

“Loki...? Are you okay?” You asked quietly as you gazed down at where he rested against your stomach, his hands gripping your hips.

“I can feel the presence of my child when you're so near like this, Y/N.” Loki nearly whispered as you lowered the towel away from his hair.

Smiling a little, you tossed the towel off to the side and then lifted a hand to rest on his head, softly stroking his damp hair, “Then remember that feeling and don't do anything else stupid to get yourself hurt...your child deserves a life with you in it, Loki.”

You could feel his hands tighten a little before he let go and lifted his head to look up at you, “That you wish for me to be a part of it never fails to amaze me.”

Scoffing at that, you slipped away from him to get the first aid kit so that you could bandage up those wounds now that he was cleaner than before, “Your problem is that you're not half as terrible as you seem to think that you are. We've all done things we regret, but it's how you move forward that counts.”

He regarded you with a look you couldn't describe but you just smiled and then set to work on his side, working quickly and carefully. It wasn't as bad as you had thought in the beginning, but you knew it was still painful for him because of the way he moved so carefully. From his side you moved up to the wound at his temple, being just as careful as you tended to it as well.

“Why are you doing this for me, Y/N?” He finally asked when you had finished with the last of the bandaging up and were cleaning up your supplies.

Tossing the trash into the bin, you came back over and knelt down to gently tug his boots off, “Because you're a stubborn god who would sooner lay on the floor in pain and bleeding than ask me for my help. And the only way to make sure it gets done is to do it myself whether you like it or not.”

His green eyes widened for a few seconds before he smirked and shook his head, “Yes, you're probably quite right about that.”

Rolling your eyes at him, you stood up and nudged his boots out of the way, “Of course I'm right. But you need to finish getting cleaned up, and I'll let you finish on your own while I go get you some clothes.”

You dampened another cloth for him before handing it over and then leaving the bathroom to go off to his room to find him something to wear. Honestly, you weren't sure why you cared so much, maybe it was the hormones, or maybe it was the fact that you couldn't stand the thought of something happening to the father of your child. No matter the reasoning, you were determined to take care of him and see to it that he recovered quickly.

Picking out some pants and another tunic, you retraced your steps to the bathroom where he sat with a towel around his waist, waiting. You handed him the clothes and he thankfully used a small bit of his magic to get them on instead of putting them on by himself. Reaching out, you helped him up from the stool and then guided him out and across the room to his bedroom.

He seemed so weary as the two of you walked to the side of his bed where you helped him sit down before you let go, “You should get some rest, I can bring something for the pain if you think it'll help.”

Loki caught your hand then, drawing your gaze to meet his with that simple touch, “Stay and tell me of my child...”

That surprised you when he asked, blinking at him a couple of times before finally nodding, “Alright, but you need to lie down and rest while I do. I'll stay and tell you what you've missed.”

His hand let go of your wrist and he shifted until he was laying down, looking expectantly at you where you stood beside the bed. Walking around the bed, you slid onto the other side and sat down, his gaze following you the entire time. You shifted so that you were half laying and half just lounging on the bed, but it was Loki who turned onto his uninjured side and rested his head against your stomach.

It was so unexpected that you really didn't know how to react other than to let him do what he wanted. And honestly, it made you warm inside to know that even though he didn't quite know how to truly show it, he cared for this child you carried. Lifting your hand, you rested it on his head and started stroking his hair, watching the tension just drain out of him when you did.

“There's not a lot to tell yet, other than I know the baby is healthy and growing. I haven't felt any movement yet, but the doctor says that in the coming weeks I could start to feel movement.” You said quietly as you lay there stroking his hair as he rested his head on your stomach.

A low hum came from him as he listened, his arm lifting to curl over your waist as he did, “Does the child appear to be..normal?”

Laughing softly, you gazed down at him as he asked that, “What sort of question is that? Of course, our baby is normal, Loki. It's too soon yet to know how much he will be like either of us, but that doesn't matter to me.”

Shifting his head a little, he gazed up at you with dark eyes that were questioning, almost fragile really, “And if you birth a blue child, what then?”

You were coming to realize that his own heritage bothered him greatly, and you understood that more and more each time he told you of being raised by Odin. He'd been brought up to hate and fear his own race, and it had damaged his mind to find out that he was one of the very monsters they were supposed to hate and fear. It wasn't something that could be undone overnight, but you knew you could at least put him at ease.

“It doesn't matter to me what color the baby is, as long as our child is born healthy. You told me what you were on the very same day I found out I was pregnant. If I wasn't sure that I wanted this child, I wouldn't have come this far already, Loki.” You said back to him as you held that gaze, trying to reassure him that you weren't going to turn against him or hate your child because of it.

He looked like he wanted desperately to believe that, but he was being cautious with his own feelings, and he only nodded in the end. Though a moment later, he easily pulled you down to lay beside him, his hand resting protectively against your stomach.

Nudging you to turn onto your side, you did as he wanted and felt your cheeks warm when he pressed close, fitting his body against yours perfectly. His hand stayed on your stomach and he breathed out softly as he tucked your head beneath his chin. You hadn't ever expected he would be one for spooning, or cuddling, or whatever the hell this really was, but you weren't going to push it away either.

It felt nice to be held and to have the comfort of his firm, warm body behind you, knowing that you were probably safer right here than anywhere else in the nine realms. He only shifted once more to pull the blankets up to your waist before he was holding you again.

“You have...a gentleness about you that reminds me of my mother.” Loki spoke quietly after a few moments of silence between the two of you.

Smiling to yourself at being at all compared to Frigga, you slid your hand down to rest on top of his, “That's a compliment I don't think I'm worthy enough to have, but thank you.”

His fingers brushed against yours, welcoming your touch but not taking your hand, “You will be a good mother, just as she was.”

Tears welled up in your eyes and you gave his hand a soft squeeze, cursing your hormones for making you cry so easily, “If I am even a third of the woman that she was, I would be happy.”

He didn't say anything else, only turned his hand just slightly so that your hand slid into his, trying to comfort you the only way he really knew how. It was quiet now as you lay there, listening to his soft breathing, and it was that steady sound that finally lulled you off to sleep. Your intention hadn't been to stay the entire night, but it felt so good to lie there with him, his nearness almost soothing.


	2. Nineteen Weeks - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be a two-part chapter, mainly because I'm dying for some Loki smut! I also promised a couple of people that I would write some sexy times in this story. So, this first part is more of the same as the last chapter, just interaction between Loki and the reader, which builds the opening for me to write the second part, which is where the smut will be! 
> 
> So if you're just waiting for that, it'll be in the next update to this story as soon as I can get it written and then edited. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who is reading this, I appreciate every single one of you who come to read this. You are amazing! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, REDISTRIBUTE, OR TRANSLATE THIS WORK ANYWHERE ELSE WITHOUT MY EXPRESS PERMISSION FIRST.

You were standing in front of the mirror, the same spot you'd been in for the last fifteen minutes, just staring at your reflection. Of course, you had been noticing the changes your body was going through, but this was on a different level entirely. For the most part, you had just been lazing around the tower or going down to the gym to workout, but Wanda and Pepper had invited you out to lunch and you really wanted to go.

The morning sickness had lessened quite a bit and your appetite was starting to come back to what it used to be before you got pregnant. So, of course, you wanted a day out with the girls and had accepted without a single thought about it. Why would you think twice, they were two of your best friends and you were thrilled at the prospect of a normal day again.

A quick shower later, and you were sliding on your jeans, or at least attempting to get them up. You knew you had gained weight, filled out in a few places that would probably make your clothes a little tighter. But you hadn't actually thought about the fact that your clothes left little room for expansion in the first place. This was the glaring problem of the moment. The fact that nothing but your pajamas would fit you because you were, quite obviously, pregnant.

It was the first time you had really looked at yourself since the little bump started to appear, the slight swell of your belly that seemed to draw everyone's eyes. Steve had been absolutely over the moon when he'd seen it the first time, and Bucky had been right behind him to come and check it out. Which had been odd really, the two of them fawning over you and asking if they could touch. You had reminded them that there wasn't anything to feel just yet and that it was kind of weird because they wanted to touch your belly.

Still, it had also been cute and you'd given in and let them touch and be in awe over the fact that you were going to be a mother. It was also then that they had more or less decided that they were going to start work on a nursery for the baby. You had just stared at them in slight awe over the fact that it seemed like they were more excited over the baby than you were right now.

To be fair, you were still absolutely terrified of actually being a mom, of having to bring this child into the world and then raise it. With Loki.

Frowning a little, you tried one more time to get your jeans to fasten, tugging on each side of them before finally stomping your foot in frustration. Okay, so you were being a little dramatic now, but it just bothered you to know that you were either going to have to go out in your pajamas, or you were going to have to stay home. Neither of which sounded at all pleasing to you.

Stepping on the cuffs of the jeans, you worked them down and then kicked them the rest of the way off, not really caring where they landed at the moment. Thankfully enough, your bras and panties still seemed to fit decently, though you were sure that would also change as time went on. The bras you could deal with, everything else was not a pleasant thing to think about. At least not when it came to the fact that you were gaining weight of your own, weight that wasn't part of the baby weight.

One of Loki's tunics was laying on the bathroom counter, you weren't quite sure why as he didn't usually have clothes around the apartment. Well, of course, he wore clothes, but for the most part, he just used his magic to change his clothes. Though he'd put a few things in the closet just to pacify you when you'd kept mentioning how weird it was that he didn't have any clothes.

Eyeing the tunic for a few seconds, you debated before finally grabbing it and tugging it on over your head, letting it fall into place a few inches above your knees. Loki wasn't a great deal bigger than you were, but his top still wrapped around you quite easily, which pleased you to no end at the moment. Walking out of the bathroom, you headed back toward your room, intent on looking one more time for something to wear before you called Pepper and told her you weren't going.

“Dare I ask why you're wearing my clothes, Y/N?” Came Loki's voice from behind you, startling you enough to pull a highly undignified squeak from you as you whirled around to face him.

“Don't do that!” You griped back at him as you willed your heart to calm down before you had an actual heart attack or something.

He just smirked and crossed the short distance between the two of you, green eyes taking in the sight of you standing there in his shirt. Just the way he looked at you had your cheeks starting to warm as you shifted a little to try and tug it further down. Which only caused his smirk to pull into a grin before he reached out caught one of your wrists in his hand.

“I quite like the sight of you wearing my clothes, though I must admit that I am curious as to why you are.” He stated again as he gently tugged you closer to him so that he could reach down to press his hand against your belly.

He'd been doing that so much lately, catching you every chance he got so that he could feel of the soft swell beneath your shirt. You knew it was because he could feel his child there, growing steadily in your womb, and it was such a new thing for him. Something he never thought he could have, and he was fascinated by it and took every opportunity to indulge himself in the feeling of that tiny life that was slowly developing.

Huffing a little, you gazed up at him as he held you there with him, “Pepper and Wanda invited me out for the day, but I can't go.”

That had him frowning a little as he dropped his hand and led you over to sit down on the sofa as he sat beside you, “And why can you not go? Surely the good Captain hasn't restricted you to this place for the duration...”

That had you laughing as you shook your head and shifted so that you were turned more toward Loki while the two of you talked, “No, Steve wouldn't do that to me. It's my clothes...they don't fit anymore because I'm getting...well...”

Right on cue, his gaze slid from your face down over your breasts and all the way to your feet before returning to your face again, “You are carrying my..our child, your body will change, surely you knew and were prepared for this, Y/N.”

You shot him a withering glance as you crossed your arms over your chest, “Of course I knew it would happen...but already? I have nothing but pajamas to wear because my ass won't fit in my jeans anymore!”

Loki raised a single eyebrow as his eyes wandered again, but this time you felt that little spark of excitement zing through you. That look, the one he was giving you right now, was the same sort of look he'd given you the night you'd ended up pregnant. Forget girl's day out and lunch, you knew what it was like to have sex with Loki, and if that's where this was going, you were all for staying home.

 _Down girl...that's how you ended up like this in the first place._ You reminded yourself as you took a slow breath and willed yourself to just chill out a bit.

Ever since you had gone into the fourth month, you had found that you were easily aroused, especially when it came to Loki. Everything about him seemed to just spark a flame inside you that made you want to pounce on him quite often. Just like right now, when all you wanted to do was drag him off to bed and not let him leave for the next few hours.

Quickly pushing those thoughts down, you shifted a little under his gaze and Loki smirked, “Insatiable little thing you've become...I like this.”

Gods help you but he was almost purring in satisfaction that he'd been the cause of your arousal at the moment, and it was definitely messing with your brain. Most likely it had short-circuited it at this point, as he always seemed to do here lately. It was quite maddening really, losing your head over a man like this, it wasn't like you at all. _Yeah, but he's a god so that explains it..._

“As tempting as it would be to ravish you right now, I do believe you have a lunch date with your..friends." He hesitated at the last word because he was still getting used to this friendship thing.

It was a slow process with the rest of the team, getting them to not want to tear into him when he walked into a room with them. They were all still a little hostile toward him, but you had been playing mediator and peacemaker since discovering your pregnancy. Oh, that also helped, knowing he was the father of your child, none of your friends would really hurt him because it would hurt you and your baby in the end.

Shaking those thoughts from your mind, you looked back up at him, “I'm not going on a lunch date with my friends in my pajamas...”

Loki gave you a dull look before his magic wrapped around you, tingling against your skin as his tunic faded away only to be replaced by jeans and a cute little top. Blinking a few times, you looked down at yourself and then hopped off of the sofa to check out the clothes. They really did fit perfectly, hugging your body just slightly, showing off the more defined curves that pregnancy was causing.

“Wow...it's perfect Loki, thank you!” You were beaming as you spoke, causing him to clear his throat a little as he stood and smoothed out the jacket of his suit he was wearing.

Before he could open his mouth to say anything, you crossed the distance and threw your arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly against you. You could feel the shock that went through him at the sudden assault of affection, which was another thing he wasn't quite used to just yet. And it took him a moment to recover before those strong arms wrapped around you and held you close to his chest.

“If this is how you react to such a simple thing, I do wonder how you would react if I were to alter the rest of your wardrobe for you.” He murmured against your hair before turning his head to press a soft kiss to your temple.

Sighing softly, you nuzzled in against his neck to drink in the scent of him as you stood there embracing, “I'll do anything you want if you fix them so I can wear them.”

Loki's laugh was low, a little rumble in his chest that made you shiver, “My payment would be you beneath me, my name a prayer and a plea upon your lips.”

Drawing in a quick breath, you leaned back to look up at him as your eyes met, “That's a price I wouldn't mind paying.”

“Oh but you are a naughty little thing...I'll hold you to your word.” He said back to you and you nodded, slowly sliding your hands down over his shoulders.

He tightened one arm around you, keeping you in place as he leaned down and pressed his lips to yours in a kiss that nearly melted you. It was hot and demanding, with Loki in firm control as he coaxed your lips to part so that his tongue could sweep inside. You clung to him, trying to keep up and kiss him back, but the desire he stroked inside you clouded your mind so easily that you were swept up in a matter of seconds.

When he finally broke the kiss a few moments later, you were breathless and dazed as you stood there with him, your e/c eyes glassy with pleasure.

“Go now, while I still have the ability to let you leave this room.” His voice was low and seductive, almost begging you to raincheck your lunch date with the girls.

Somehow though, you resisted that urge and let go of him, stepping out of his arms a second later, “I'll be home in a few hours.”

He slid his hands into the pockets of his suit trousers and nodded, a tight smile pulling at his lips, and that was your cue to get moving. Walking by him, you grabbed your cell and your keys, giving your hair and make-up one last check in the mirror before you were out the door.

You had a feeling it was going to be a long night when you got back. A long night that you were most definitely looking forward to.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, REDISTRIBUTE, OR TRANSLATE THIS WORK ANYWHERE ELSE WITHOUT MY EXPRESS PERMISSION FIRST.


	3. Nineteen Weeks - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a continuation of the last chapter, so this is just part two of that one. I was asked by multiple people to do a smut scene, so here it is! Thank you all for reading, more to come soon!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, REDISTRIBUTE, OR TRANSLATE THIS WORK ANYWHERE ELSE WITHOUT MY EXPRESS PERMISSION FIRST.

The day out with Pepper and Wanda had been exactly what you'd needed to rejuvenate you and soothe a part of yourself you hadn't known needed soothing. It was never about the shopping or the lunch when the three of you went out. No, it was about the friendship and the freedom to talk about anything and know that it would never be uttered to another living soul without permission.

They had both been so inquisitive about the baby though, asking how you had been feeling, if you'd felt any movements yet, anything they could think of to ask had been asked. And you had found that you actually didn't mind talking about it now. Oh, it had been difficult at first and the others had understood that, even though you wanted to keep the baby, the idea of it was still too new.

Too terrifying.

But now you were used to it and so their questions had been a pleasant thing to discuss during your lunch at one of Pepper's favorite places in the city. You would definitely have to go out with them again soon, especially after seeing how much of a boost it gave to your mood.

You waved to them as you stepped off onto Thor's floor of the tower, humming slightly to yourself as you walked down the hallway. The door to the apartment you shared with Loki slid open when you came up to it and you stepped inside with a smile. Keys were deposited in the tray near the door and you slipped your shoes off just to the left of it before wandering through the living room.

Taking your phone out of the pocket of your jeans, you put it on the coffee table before heading off to the bathroom to wash the makeup off your face. Part of you wondered where Loki had gotten off to as you removed the makeup and then left the bathroom.

Rather than going to your room, you veered off toward his to check and see if he was in there reading or something as he sometimes did. The door was open, so you stepped into the doorway to see if he was there only to lose the ability to breathe, much less speak. Loki was there, reclining on the bed in that graceful, predatory way he had.

He was bare from the waist up, the expanse of skin short-circuiting your brain at this point because Loki didn't just lay around like this. The least you'd seen him in while lounging was his tunic and pants, but this was definitely not that. Speaking of pants, the ones he was wearing fit him well and clearly showed off the fact that he was aroused at the moment.

Jerking your gaze up from his pants, you saw that little smirk on his lips, “Did I not tell you that I would hold you to your word?”

Your mouth went dry and you nodded a bit, unsure if you could even form words right now because this was not normal. Loki hadn't ever just been laying there waiting for you, and you weren't quite sure how to handle it. Probably because your brain had completely crashed at this point, and rebooting was obviously not working the way it should.

“Right now..?” You managed to get out, though it sounded a whole lot more breathless than you had thought that it would.

It had him laughing though as he slid off of the bed and stalked toward you, sending your heart rate and your libido into absolute overdrive. You took a shaky breath as he came toward you, feeling your legs weaken at the sight of this god devouring you with his eyes. Loki's arm curled around your waist just as your legs threatened to fold beneath you from the strength of this desire you were feeling.

Oh for sure you had always wanted him, but these pregnancy hormones were only amplifying that desire that rested inside you, “Please, Loki...”

“Don't worry little one, I'll give you what you need." He murmured before he swept you up into his arms and turned to carry you toward the bed with an obvious purpose.

Your brain was still trying to come to terms with all of this as he put you down gently in the center of the bed before crawling up over you. And damn if your mind didn't short circuit all over again to see him like this, so wild and primal in his actions, but still gentle at the same time. He'd softened his touches since finding out about the baby, mainly because of all the aches that came with it. Aches that he was learning how to soothe because he  _wanted_  to, not because he had to.

Reaching up to him, you slid your fingers into his hair and tugged him down so that your lips pressed against his again. You could feel the low rumble of his laughter as he nudged your legs apart and settled between them, pressing the bulge of his erection against your center. It pulled a whimper from your throat, your hips lifting up eagerly as he braced himself with one hand beside you, the other tugging impatiently at your jeans before he simply magicked them away.

He moved then with a purpose, breaking the kiss to raise up onto his knees between your spread legs, those green eyes locked with your e/c ones. The familiar tingle of his magic swept over your skin as he stripped you bare for his gaze, his touch. You bit your bottom lip as his gaze finally left yours to trail down over the length of your body, almost wanting to cover yourself because of the intensity of that look. But you didn't, he knew your body was changing because of the baby, there was no need to hide that from him.

Loki shifted and leaned down to press his forehead against the soft swell of your belly, something he did more and more often lately. It was his way of being close to his child, something he never thought he'd have, never even thought he wanted to have. But something had unlocked inside him when he'd found out, something that was fiercely protective of this life that you chose to carry within you.

For you, the decision had been an easy one to make even though you were terrified. You wouldn't have gotten pregnant if there hadn't been a reason behind it, and more than that, you  _wanted_  to be a mother. Although you would have preferred it be a little later in your life when it happened, you had still wanted to keep the baby. You'd been able to see the look in Loki's eyes when you'd told him you were pregnant, that guarded look that said he would accept whatever decision you made.

Now, you were thankful you'd chosen to continue this, seeing the way he spoke so softly that you couldn't hear him to the growing life inside you. The way his hands slid up to caress your sides before those piercing eyes turned up to you and your breath caught in your throat. He slid further down and your cheeks burned with a blush as his lips brushed over your bare skin until his warm breath ghosted over the wet folds of your sex.

“Keep your eyes only on me. I would have you looking down upon me as I pleasure and tease you. For you are my queen, and my lips are your throne.” His words were laced with lust and you shivered as your hands gripped the sheets beneath you.

He didn't offer any further comment, no warning at all before his mouth was on you, fingers parting your folds as that wicked tongue instantly found your clit. You cried out before you could choke it back, one of your hands flying up to cover your mouth. Loki's eyes danced with amusement and hunger as he expertly worked his tongue over and against that little nub. It had your legs quivering against his shoulders, his left hand moving to tease his fingertips against your entrance.

Your hand over your mouth kept your whimpers and moans muffled as you writhed beneath him, never letting your eyes leave him. Two long fingers slid inside you then, tearing a moan from you as he curled them to brush that place inside you that never failed to shatter you in his arms. He knew it well, had known from the very first time you'd ever been together. Now he was using that knowledge with every curl of his elegant fingers inside you, pushing you closer and closer to the edge of pleasure.

His tongue circled your clit before his lips closed around it and he sucked, your hips coming up from the bed as pleasure shot straight through you. Without ever parting from you he followed the movement, flicking his tongue over it again in time with the curling of his fingers inside you. Gods help you but you were about to tip over that edge, you were so close that you could feel the way your body was starting to tighten, ready for that last push that would cause that tension to snap.

Before it could come though, he slid his fingers out and raised up, a cry of frustration leaving your lips, “No...no! Loki please!”

He was smiling down at you as you tried to sit up to reach him again, but his hands were firm in pushing you back to the bed beneath him, “Shh...lay back, I'm not done with you yet. You will have what it is you want soon enough.”

Following you down to the bed, his lips found yours again and your hands lifted to curl into that silky black hair as you tasted yourself on his tongue. Loki groaned at the eagerness you showed, he'd always loved the way you responded so openly and eagerly to what he did. His pants seemed to melt away at the command of his magic, causing a fresh wave of arousal to spike through you at the feel of his naked body against your own.

Lifting his lips from yours, his green eyes gazed down at you as he shifted his hips, notching the head of his cock against your opening. You stayed still, save for the trembling of your body that was completely out of your control at the moment. He pushed inside slowly, your head tipping back and hands grasping at his shoulders as he slid ever deeper until his hips pressed against yours. And gods help you, it felt so good to have him inside you again after so long.

Your hand lifted to cover your mouth, but Loki caught it and pressed it down beside your head, “Do not silence the sound of your pleasure. I want to hear every sound you make, Y/N.”

His words were punctuated by a small thrust that pulled a little cry from your lips, much to his satisfaction. One of his hands slid down to your hip, holding firmly to keep you in place while the other stayed beside you, holding him up and helping him to brace himself. Keeping his gaze on yours, he withdrew a couple of inches and then thrust back in, sending pleasure surging through you again. You were so close to orgasm where he'd teased you just before and all you needed was that one final push.

“Let yourself go and cry out my name.” Loki half growled as he started to move, steadily building up to a pace he liked, one he knew would have you repeatedly crying out for him.

And of course, it worked as he angled his hips and yours until he found the perfect angle that had your back arching up from the bed, your fingernails biting into his shoulders. It wrenched a cry from your lips as he held you there, each of his thrusts rocking your smaller body with the force of his hips. Gods but he felt so good inside you, you'd never been with a man who made you feel the things that he could.

“Loki! Oh god...I can't...Loki, please!" Your cries echoed in the room and he, for once, gave you what you wanted, what you needed from him.

His pace increased and your nails raked down his back as he tipped you over that razor's edge into orgasm, his name falling from your lips. Loki never stopped moving, thrusting into you a little more slowly, prolonging your pleasure while taking his own at the same time. You held him tight as he kept moving, easier now that your release had renewed that wetness inside you.

The room was filled with his soft grunts, the sound of your bodies meeting, and the myriad of sounds that fell from your lips with each thrust he made into you. He normally wouldn't let you orgasm so quickly, preferring to tease and tempt, working your body to a fevered state before he would finally sink himself deep inside and let you orgasm around him. Not that you minded, oh no, you loved every moment of it.

Curling his left arm around you, Loki pulled you closer, his other hand sliding beneath you and up into your hair, almost cradling you in his arms. Your own arms slid back up and around his shoulders, lips parted and eyes wide and glassy with the pleasure he was bringing.

“You've no idea what the sight of you carrying my child does to me, Y/N.” The words were low, murmured against your ear as he slowed his thrusts enough to change his angle just a bit.

Enough of a change so that he could reach deeper inside you with every thrust, and your legs instantly curled over his slender hips. He groaned at the feeling, his eyes fluttering almost closed for a moment before they locked with your half-lidded ones. The pace increased again and you tightened your legs around him, sliding one hand up to cup the left side of his face.

“Let me feel you cum around me, with me, Y/N...let go, let me have that pleasure..come for me!” The words shot heat straight to your core and you didn't even try to stifle the cry of his name that came from you.

Your body was strung tight and when that tension snapped, it left you breathless, dizzy and drunk on the pleasure that coursed its way through you. A pleasure that was only amplified by the feel of Loki's frantic thrusts, the last one sinking deep as he held there, each twitch of his cock spilling his seed deep inside you. Your breaths were coming quickly, breasts rising and falling as you clung to him almost desperately.

Loki was barely breathing heavily as he gazed down at you, slowly sliding his now softening cock from the warmth and slickness of your body. You missed him instantly, whimpering and squeezing your thighs together as a self-satisfied smirk tugged at his lips.

“Greedy little thing you are.” The tone of his voice was teasing, a warmth that was only there when he allowed it to be there.

Reaching over, he picked up a towel and softly cleaned away the mess between your legs before folding it over and cleaning himself off. One of his tunics wrapped around you with a slight wave of his hand and his pants settled back on his hips. Moving to your side, he lay on his side next to you, reaching out to rest his hand on your belly.

Turning your head, you looked at him, a soft smile tugging at your lips at the look on his face, “I'm going to assume that my wardrobe has been altered.”

His laugh was deep and velvety as his eyes lifted to your face, “Indeed it has been, and you have fulfilled your part of the agreement.”

Loki paused then, seeming conflicted as his eyes slid back down to the swell of your belly where his hand rested, “Have you and the child been well?”

Your smile only grew brighter when he asked and you nodded back to him, “I would have told you if something was wrong. The baby and I are both fine, Loki.”

His lips drew into a thin line and he nodded just slightly, something you'd noticed that he did when he was feeling a bit out of his element. And all talk of the baby was something completely out of his element without a doubt. Rather than saying anything, you turned onto your side with your back facing him and then scooted back until you were nestled against his chest. Taking his hand, you brought it back to where it had been before, pressing it there with one of your own.

Loki relaxed a little as the two of you lay there in silence, sleep tugging at your consciousness even though you fought hard against it. Breathing out softly, he hugged you closer to him, tucking your head beneath his chin as his hand splayed protectively over your belly.

“You're..gonna be a good dad..” You managed to get out between yawns, barely able to keep your eyes open now that you were sated and relaxed.

“Stop fighting it and sleep.” Loki said quietly above you, his voice lulling you right off to sleep just as he'd told you to do.

Breathing out slowly, he closed his eyes and held you tighter against him, silently wanting to believe what you'd said, but not brave enough to hope just yet. Maybe with more time. You'd thawed the ice around him so much already, maybe you could thaw the rest with time.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, REDISTRIBUTE, OR TRANSLATE THIS WORK ANYWHERE ELSE WITHOUT MY EXPRESS PERMISSION FIRST.


	4. Twenty Seven Weeks - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader is 27 weeks pregnant and having a hard time sleeping without Loki being there, and after a night on the common room sofa, she gets to enjoy some time with her boys (Bucky and Steve) before she decides to do something about her sleepless nights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter underwent eight rewrites before I finally settled on this version, and I'm so sorry it took this long for me to get it written! I have no idea what my issue with it was, but it just gave me a hell of a time. There's a second part to this chapter that I'm already working on and hope to have finished soon, so hang in here with me through this cliffhanger! 
> 
> PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, REDISTRIBUTE, OR TRANSLATE THIS WORK ANYWHERE ELSE WITHOUT MY EXPRESS PERMISSION FIRST.

It was quiet in the common room when you walked in, most everyone in the tower was either sleeping or away on missions. Loki was away on Asgard again after a visit from Thor, and that was part of the reason why you weren't sleeping right now. Without Loki there with you, the bed seemed too big and you just couldn't get comfortable no matter what you did.

The change in sleeping habits had started right after he'd altered your entire wardrobe for you. At first, you'd just ended up staying in his bed after sex, because why not? But then you found yourself gravitating there on your own like there was some sort of invisible connection between the two of you. He'd been wary when you'd started coming to bed on your own, without any pretense of sex, but he'd warmed up to the idea quickly enough. Though neither of you had really said a word about it, sort of like an unspoken agreement that this was okay, and you both liked it. 

But now that he was away, you just couldn't sleep without him there with you. Without the feel of his strong arms wrapped around you and his hand resting protectively against your stomach. You'd talked to Pepper and Wanda about it earlier in the day when you'd gone out for lunch together. Being your best friends and all, you'd needed the time away with them, and they had been all too happy to sit and listen to everything you'd needed to say. 

It had actually been Wanda who had suggested you sleep in the common room on the new sofa Tony had bought a couple weeks ago. Mainly because it was small enough that it might make you feel better to have something solid against your back.

Given that you were exhausted enough just from being pregnant, you decided to give it a try. Grabbing the blanket off the back of the sofa, you dropped your pillow at one end and then sat down with a heavy sigh. This might help you get some sleep but all you really wanted was for Loki to come back home again, as odd as that feeling was. The two of you had definitely become close over the last couple months, closer than you'd ever been before now.

You were depending on him more and he was trying his best to learn how to let you be close, how to be there when you needed him. The change was harder for him and you knew why, but you never pushed him on it, letting things move at a pace he was comfortable with.

Groaning at your own thoughts, you rubbed your hands over your face and then curled up on the sofa, snuggling into the blanket. The more Loki was away, the more you seemed to think about him, almost to the point that you were fairly certain you were starting to fall for him. Not that that was a bad thing really, you just didn't have any grand illusions of him sweeping you off your feet and into married life. Well, you would like to get married of course, but that just didn't seem to be Loki's style.

Ah hell, now you were thinking about marriage to go right along with this baby. Yep, you were sleep deprived and it was starting to show, at least to you anyway. Yanking the blanket up over your head, you closed your eyes and willed yourself to shut down for the night and just sleep. It would make you feel better, and maybe you'd stop thinking about little gold bands and white dresses.

–//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//

The smell of coffee and breakfast was what roused you from your surprisingly restful sleep on the sofa, you'd slept better there than you had the entire time Loki had been gone. Score one for Pepper and Wanda then. Yawning and giving a little stretch, you sat up and attempted to smooth your hair down into some semblance of order before getting up and folding the blanket. Draping it over the back of the sofa, you followed the glorious smell of food into the kitchen where Steve and Bucky were standing over the stove together.

Leaning against the doorway, you smiled at the sight of the two super soldiers calmly making breakfast like some old married couple. _Ha, old married couple...god, they really should just get on with it already._ You thought to yourself as you watched the way they moved so well together, that comfortable companionship that most people spent their whole lives searching for. They were definitely cute together, and you knew the feelings were mutual there, without a single doubt. Mainly because you'd had to sit and listen to both of them at one point or another, go on about how the world was right now that they were back together.

“So, is this the part where I get to see you two _finally_ kiss each other?" You asked, making the two of them jump apart so quickly that Bucky nearly knocked one of the pans off the stove. Grinning from your spot in the doorway, you crossed your arms just under your chest and shrugged as you watched Steve's face starting to turn scarlet. God, he was adorable when he blushed, no wonder Bucky had it bad for him. 

“Don't do that, Y/N! You don't sneak up on soldiers, and ex-assassins!” Steve griped as he turned away to hide his blush from you, under the guise of poking at the eggs in one of the pans. It only made your grin grow wider as you watched him and then turned your gaze to Bucky, who was partially amused and partially annoyed that you'd managed to sneak up on them.

Pushing away from the doorway, you walked over to Bucky and curled your arms around his waist, dropping your head down against his chest, "Didn't mean to scare you two brave soldiers with my little self." He scoffed as his arms lifted to hug you against him as he rested his head on top of yours, "Haha, very funny. You gonna start with the old man jokes next, doll?"

You laughed and gave him a gentle squeeze, “Nah, those are for after dinner, Buck. So, is this a super soldiers only breakfast, or can I join in?” Steve started laughing as he moved some pans around and then took down some plates, “First she gets the drop on us, now she wants food. You women are dangerous, Y/N.” Scoffing at that, you let go of Bucky and turned toward Steve, poking your head around his massive arm to check out the food, “Only pregnant women are dangerous, especially when you keep them from food, Cap. Well, unless you're Nat, then you're always dangerous.”

Both soldiers laughed at that one and Steve lifted his right arm to curl around your shoulders, bending down to press a soft kiss to the top of your head, “Go get something to drink and sit down, I'll bring you a plate over in a minute, doll.” Smiling happily, you gave Steve a quick squeeze and then let go of him to go over and peruse the contents of the fridge to see what you wanted to drink.

It was nice having them there while Loki was gone, made things a little more bearable for you at least, and you enjoyed time with the guys. Especially Steve and Bucky, more so now that you were pregnant and they were acting like overprotective big brothers. Humming softly to yourself, you fixed a glass of juice and retreated to the table, sliding into your chair and making yourself comfortable.

Bucky followed after you with the remnants of his coffee, taking the seat to your right and then reaching out to curl his vibranium arm around your shoulders, “Want to tell us why you were sleeping on the couch when there's a perfectly good bed in your room?” Sighing heavily, you leaned back in your chair and let your head move to rest against Bucky's arm, “I know there's a great bed in there, two actually, but I can't sleep when I'm in there.”

Coming over to the table, Steve sat a plate in front of you and one in front of Bucky, then another for himself on the other side of you. Sitting down on your left, he turned so he could look at you while you talked, “Did something happen with Loki? Because Buck and I can set him straight if we need to, Y/N.” Bless the two of them and their protectiveness, they really were entirely too sweet for this world.

“No, don't go beating up my...well, I'm not sure what he is really other than the father of my child. It's not like we're officially dating or anything.” You mused as you sat there between them, really giving it some thought this time because you hadn't before. Not that there was anything wrong with what you had with Loki, it was just something that didn't have a name yet.

“Alright, so I can't kick his ass because of that. But if he's not treating you right, I'm gonna kill him.” Steve stated firmly enough that it had your eyebrows raising a little at that tone he'd just used, mainly because you knew he meant it. Reaching out, you put a hand on his arm and patted it lightly, “Easy there, Cap, no killing. Loki's good to me and you both know it, I'm just having problems sleeping without him here, that's all.”

Bucky instantly started chuckling softly beside you and you whipped your head around to look at him, “That's not funny, James Buchanan Barnes!” That only made him start laughing even harder as he easily fended off your attempts to smack him to shut him up. On the other side of you, Steve was doing his best not to burst out laughing at the two of you.

“I'm sorry doll, I'm not laughing because I thought your situation was funny – ouch! Y/N just let me explain!” Bucky half yelled as he snatched your hands up and held them firmly in one of his so you couldn't hit him anymore. Hauling you over into his lap, he used his other arm to hold you so you didn't fall, “God you're a handful when you're pregnant, I didn't mean it in a bad way. I was laughing because you've been so thick headed that you didn't even come to me and Stevie for help.”

Steve nodded and took a sip of his coffee before turning those blue eyes back to you, "You know you could have just stayed the night with one of us if you needed to. And honestly, you should have, you not sleeping isn't good for you or that baby." Turning your gaze back to him, you pouted a little as you settled down on Bucky's lap, "It's not that I didn't think about it you know, but...it's...well..."

Realization shimmered in Bucky's eyes and he let go of your hands so he could reach up to turn your head to face him, “You miss him that bad, doll?” Now you started blushing as you shifted a little on his lap and then nodded your head, “Yeah..well I mean..kinda but...ah hell, I do miss him Bucky. A lot.” Moving you back over into your chair, Bucky leaned over and kissed your temple, “It's okay to admit that you care a lot about him, Y/N. Hell, admit that you love the asshole if that's how you feel – ouch! Okay, okay, not an asshole!”

You fixed Bucky with a firm look before you picked up your fork and took a bite of breakfast, chewing and swallowing before you pointed the fork at him, “We're not talking about the 'L' word right now, and he's not an asshole most of the time. He's actually...well, he's really sweet when we're alone.” Steve gave an undignified snort and you shot him a glare that silenced him, “You two are impossible, I swear!”

Grumbling to yourself about the two of them, you dug into breakfast while the two of them exchanged knowing looks over your head. It didn't take a genius like Bruce or Tony to see that you were definitely falling hard for the Trickster God. You just weren't ready to bring that four letter word into things just yet, it was too much too fast. And completely out of Loki's comfort zone, you knew that already. But still, the super duo might be onto something, maybe you needed to talk to Loki when he came back, tell him a little of how you felt.

Yep, that's exactly what you were going to do when he got home.

–//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//--//

Another three days and Loki still hadn't come back from Asgard, or wherever the hell he was right now. You'd been keeping an eye on the calendar and he'd been gone two weeks already, longer than he'd ever been gone since finding out about the baby. And you felt like you were losing your mind without him there, without his nearness to help soothe you. You were also getting pissed off over the fact that you'd not heard a peep out of him, which you mostly blamed on the hormones raging through your body.

Neither of you had ever really put a name to whatever it was between you, but you were more than ready to do that now that you knew what it was like to be without him. The problem was that he wasn't there for you to tell him anything. Well, you'd waited long enough this time, you were dead set on going to find his leather-clad backside no matter where he was. And after you found him, you were going to have a word with Thor about being a pain in the ass and taking Loki away from you every time you turned around. 

You'd put on one of the gowns Loki had conjured up for you, his colors wrapping around your body in soft, flowing waves of fabric. It accented your still slender waist and breasts, leaving your shoulders bare as the sleeves started a couple inches below each shoulder. Shaking your hair out of your face, you marched outside onto the back lawn with a definite purpose in each step.

Once you were far enough away from the building, you came to a stop and looked up at the sky, “Heimdall, I know you can hear me out there! I want to see Loki, open the Bifrost!”

Okay, you probably looked stupid standing there yelling at the sky because you definitely weren't an Asgardian, and Heimdall technically didn't have to do anything you asked. Honestly, you had no real pull when it came to something like this, you were just a human after all. The only thing that bound you to Asgard at all was the fact that you were the mother of Loki's unborn child.

Narrowing your eyes a little, you opened your mouth to say something and light shot down from the sky with a familiar sound. It surrounded you and you felt the pull instantly, not fighting it but just letting it take you as the cosmos flew by you so quickly. God this was exhilarating really, maybe you needed to make a point of traveling like this more often if you could get away with it. Laughing at that thought, you drew in a breath as you reached the end of your very quick journey. 

Your first step into Asgard was a stumble really, not used to traveling by Bifrost, you weren't exactly steady on your feet. But a warm hand caught your arm, keeping you steady as the way closed behind you and you lifted your head to see who had saved you from falling on your face.

Heimdall smiled just slightly and then let go of your arm, “You did well for your first time traveling through the Bifrost, I can see why you caught his attention.” Straightening up a little, you smoothed your hair down and then your dress, “Thank you, for opening the way for me, I know you didn't have to do it.” He laughed now, a low rumble that you found oddly pleasant, “Indeed I did not, but I feel that you will make it worth my while.”

“If you mean watching me beat some sense into him, then sure it'll be worth letting me up here for. So if you'll just point me in the right direction, I'll get right on that.” You quipped back to him, which only earned another laugh as a guard came forward and motioned for you to follow him. Inclining your head to Heimdall, you made a mental note to find some sort of gift for him next time, for helping you out in all this.

The guard led you to a floating boat looking thing that made you raise your eyebrows a little as you watched him step on and then turn back to you and hold out his hand, “Please watch your step, My Lady.” Okay that was weird, you weren't royalty and that was a little unexpected, and it caused you to blush a bit as you looked at him. Though after a moment, you reached out and took his hand, letting him help you over before you sat down where he indicated, “I'll have you at the palace shortly, Lady Y/N.”

Blinking a little, you nodded and then focused your attention on the city around you, taking in the beauty that was Asgard. You wanted to be able to take your time and explore the place, but at the moment you were there on a mission. One that you weren't going to fail in, because no matter what happened, you were bringing your lover back home or you were staying there with him. Well, maybe, you weren't really going to force him to be with you, but you were going to let him know how it made you feel when he wasn't there.

God, when Steve and Bucky found out what you were up to, they were going to have an absolute fit about all of it. Smiling to yourself at that thought, you breathed out and then stood up as your escort of the moment docked the boat thing and then moved to help you off it. You cast him a smile and he motioned toward the large doorway, “The throne room is straight ahead, the guards already know to let you pass.” That was odd really that everyone knew you were there, though you wondered if that meant Loki knew as well. Either way, he was about to find out.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, REDISTRIBUTE, OR TRANSLATE THIS WORK ANYWHERE ELSE WITHOUT MY EXPRESS PERMISSION FIRST.


	5. Twenty Seven Weeks - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second part of the previous chapter. I had wanted to get this finished and posted much sooner than this, but life has been hitting me quite hard and writing has been nearly impossible as of late. So please forgive me for this taking so long, and I hope that you'll all enjoy it. There will be a third part as soon as I can get it done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, REDISTRIBUTE, OR TRANSLATE THIS WORK ANYWHERE ELSE WITHOUT MY EXPRESS PERMISSION FIRST.

You wouldn't ever admit it to anyone, but as you made your way through the massive halls of the Asgardian palace, you were half terrified. This was not somewhere you belonged and that was made more clear with every step you took. But you were determined that you were going to at least see Loki before you left, after all, you'd come all this way for that reason. 

That helped you to straighten your back and walk a little taller as you followed the pathway toward the ornate golden doors that you knew must lead to the throne room. Your gown swished and flowed with every movement you made, and you suddenly wished that you'd worn something else. Maybe your uniform or something, because at least then you wouldn't feel so damned vulnerable with absolutely nothing to protect you. It wasn't like you had powers you could call on, you were more like Nat and Clint really. You could fight and you were good at what you did, but this was way above your pay grade.

Taking a deep breath, you approached the doors and the two guards that stood to either side of it, coming to a stop a few feet away, “Heimdall said Loki was here, I want to see him.”

God that sounded so lame, even to your own ears and you mentally kicked yourself for not sounding a little more sure of yourself. They watched you for a few tense heartbeats before they moved out of your way and you stepped toward the doors. Swallowing nervously, you waited until they pushed the doors open before you made yourself walk forward with your heart pounding in your chest.

Quite a few pairs of eyes turned to look at you as you came toward the throne and you felt like you wanted to turn tail and run. But to your credit, you held yourself high and locked your eyes on Loki, who had an utterly shocked look on his face as he watched you. Thor was failing to hide his grin as he watched you coming closer and closer, he'd always known you were as impulsive as you were brave. 

There were matching smiles on the faces of the Warriors Three and Lady Sif, all of whom you had met a few years ago. It helped to reassure you as you neared the golden throne where Odin sat, Frigga on his right with the two princes standing off to the left. He was a lot more intimidating in person and you knew you were slightly trembling as you came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs.

Loki's mouth was slightly open as he stared at you, taking a moment to compose himself before he hurried down the steps to your side, “What are you doing here, you shouldn't be here!” He was trying to be quiet as he took hold of your arm gently but firmly. Oh, so that's how it was going to be then?

You felt your temper rise and you turned to face him fully as you pulled your arm out of his grasp, “I wouldn't be here if you had let me know what was going on!” There were confused looks now, from everyone but Thor who of course already knew about your relationship with his brother. That made this all the more interesting then, because no one else in this room knew you were together, didn't know you carried his child.

“That has nothing to do with the fact that you're here! What in the nine realms possessed you to come through the Bifrost in your...the way you are!?" Loki was whisper-yelling but it was only serving to spark your temper even more that he was avoiding the main issue. It was also clear that he was trying to skirt around the issue of you being pregnant, though you weren't sure why. Honestly, it was quite obvious that you were, it wasn't like you could hide it in this dress. 

“Loki, who is your lovely friend?” Frigga spoke up, causing the Trickster God to tense up before he turned to Odin and Frigga with a wide smile. Frowning a little as you gazed up at him, you opened your mouth to say something, but Loki beat you to it, “She is one of our...comrades, from The Avengers, Mother.”

“Your comrade? Are you serious!” You snapped at him as soon as the words left his mouth, causing him to turn back to you with his eyebrows raised just slightly.

Odin was watching in stony silence as the two of you had your little argument, he'd already put together the facts of your relationship with Loki. Though he was more intrigued at the way Loki was acting, a far cry from his usual self and that was more than enough to get his attention. 

“Y/N, this is not the time, nor the place.” Loki said gently but firmly as he met your gaze and reached out to try and take your shoulders in his hands. You narrowed your eyes and smacked his hands away, earning a snort of laughter from Thor before he could stop himself.

“Don't give me that crap, Loki! And stop trying act like every person in this room can't see that I'm pregnant, it's kind of obvious!” You griped back at him as you set your hands on your hips to further accent the swell of your stomach, refusing to back down from him this time, you were too riled up now.

Loki looked stunned now though, from the fact that you had just openly and willingly admitted you were pregnant, even though of course it was obvious. It shocked him more because you were, more or less, admitting you were pregnant with his child, and there had been no hesitation for you. Though now his worry was what Odin would think, what he would do with the knowledge of the child you carried.

As if on cue, a loud thud rang through the room and you turned quickly to look up at Odin, who had his eyes locked on you. The anger inside you started to bleed away into fear as you took a half step back only to have Loki reach out to curl his arm around your shoulders and draw you in against his side. You let him do it because you were honestly scared of what Odin could do, as powerful as he was you knew he could likely kill the both of you. 

“No matter the relationship you have with my son, a mortal has no place in Asgard's halls.” Odin spoke directly to you and you clenched your fists as you gazed up at him, warring between fear and anger again. His gaze turned to Loki then, “Take her back to the Bifrost and return her to Midgard, immediately.”

Loki nodded and moved to turn you away from the throne, but you shrugged out of his arms and ascended three of the steps toward the throne. The room went silent as you stood glaring up at the All-Father, even though you were still a bit scared you weren't backing down, "Don't treat me like I'm insignificant just because I'm human, you don't know a damn thing about me." 

A warm hand grabbed yours and Loki tried to gently pull you away, “You need to be quiet now, Y/N!” Turning toward him, you yanked your hand out of his and shot him a heated glare, “No, this is one time I'm not staying quiet...especially not where he's concerned.”

Jerking your gaze back to Odin, you stood tall in front of him, “I'm not leaving without Loki, no matter what you say, you have no authority over me. You might rule here, but I'm not one of your subjects you can just command to do whatever you want. I don't care that my life is just a blink for you, that doesn't give you the right to treat me like I don't matter.”

The room was filled with tension as the two of you stood firm, no one daring to speak right now other than Odin, “Choose your next words very carefully, Midgardian.”

Scoffing at that, you held your arms out to either side of your body, “I'm not afraid of you, Odin Allfather, maybe I was at first, but not now. I came here because my child needs her father... _I_ need him, and I'm not going back without him by my side.”

Behind you, you could hear Loki draw in a breath over the fact that you'd just revealed that you were having a daughter together. You had wanted to tell him at the tower, but he'd been gone and then your temper had gotten the best of you and led you here. So it wasn't exactly the kind of reveal that you wanted, but it was what it was and you couldn't change that.

“And when it becomes known to you what you carry in your womb, what then?” Odin asked, and you knew exactly what he was talking about. He didn't know that Loki had already told you that he was a Frost Giant, that there was a very good chance your child would look like one of them rather than like a human. The question only made you start smiling in spite of your anger as you rested one of your hands on your stomach.

“I already know what Loki is, he told me as soon as I found out I was pregnant. And he asked me a similar question that day, my answer hasn't changed either. This is my child, our child, and I don't care what she is because the only thing that matters is that she's mine, and I love her already.” You answered back up at him as Thor started smiling at you from where he was standing, giving you a nod to let you know he agreed.

Up until now, Frigga had stayed silent and let Odin do the speaking, but after you had finished talking, she stood up and came forward. Putting a hand on Odin's arm, she gazed at him for a long moment before coming down the stairs toward you. Shifting a little nervously, you watched her as she came near, her smile starting to put you at ease as she reached your side and reached out to put a comforting hand on your shoulder, “You're a very brave young woman, Y/N. A very brave mother.”

Laughing a little, you shook your head and met her kind eyes, "I'm really not, it was just the hormones and..well...I do have a temper, so that didn't help." Frigga laughed and reached out to stroke your hair lightly before dropping her hand away, "Come, you need to rest yourself before you travel through the Bifrost again. Especially in your condition." Both Odin and Loki were looking at Frigga in varying degrees of disbelief and awe as she put her arm around your shoulders and turned you gently before coaxing you to start walking. 

Turning your head, you looked back at Loki, almost wanting to refuse the offer to rest if it meant being away from him again. After all, that was the entire reason you had even come here in the first place. Blinking a couple of times, Loki glanced at Odin and then gave a slight bow before turning to follow after you and Frigga. Leaving Thor and his friends in the throne room with Odin, the four of them doing their best not to laugh after that whole spectacle. Granted, they all knew it could have gone very differently if Frigga hadn't stepped in when she did.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, REDISTRIBUTE, OR TRANSLATE THIS WORK ANYWHERE ELSE WITHOUT MY EXPRESS PERMISSION FIRST.


	6. Twenty Seven Weeks Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After facing down Odin, you're finally able to confront Loki face to face. 
> 
> Oh my god, this chapter took ages to get written and I am so sincerely sorry for that wait. Real life has been quite chaotic and my muse was effectively dead. But now I have returned and I'm working on writing as much as possible, whenever possible. So please bear with me while to work on the upcoming chapters, I will post as soon as I get them written.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, REDISTRIBUTE, OR TRANSLATE THIS WORK ANYWHERE ELSE WITHOUT MY EXPRESS PERMISSION FIRST.

By the time you stepped into the room Frigga had been leading you to, you were shaking slightly, visibly shaking. It was no wonder either, traveling through the Bifrost and then stupidly facing down Odin, putting not only your life at risk but your daughter's life as well. Add in that you were still fairly exhausted from the lack of sleep and it was quite the strong combination on your already fragile nerves.

Gripping your dress in your hands, you tried to hide that weakness, but no sooner than you had gripped the fabric, Loki swept you off your feet. Just being near him again felt like a sort of heaven, not just for you but for your unborn child as well. Of course, you had missed him, but you hadn't realized how much until being held in those strong arms of his again. Though, to be fair, you were still mad at him.

“Put me down...I can walk on my own, Loki.” You weren't snapping at him, but the tone you used was clear enough; you were not happy with him.

Glancing down at you, he lifted one of those perfect eyebrows as he carried you over to a chair opposite of his mother, “Yes, I saw you do that quite well when you barged into the throne room of Asgard. But you're trembling now, Y/N.”

Curse the man for being so damned observant about things, and you couldn't argue it because you were still trembling even as he held you. Even as he leaned down and sat you in the chair that was more than welcome right now. It was his eyes that broke you down a little though, those beautiful eyes of his that locked with your e/c ones.

It felt like the two of you were communicating without words, that he was looking into your very soul and you were giving him all the answers he asked for. That gaze so deep that you didn't even realize you had leaned toward him, reached out to him. Until Frigga politely cleared her throat and you stiffened in your chair, a small smile tugging at Loki's lips as he stood up and moved to sit in the chair beside yours. Close to you, but not nearly close enough after you'd been without him for so long.

“Forgive me for interrupting, but you do seem quite pale, Y/N.” The queen spoke up to you as you shifted a little in your chair, folding your hands in your lap to try and hide their trembling.

“It's nothing to worry over, I'm okay.” You murmured softly, all fire and feisty-ness stripped from you now that you had settled down some.

A scoff from Loki beside you made that fire start to rekindle as you whipped your head around to look at him with slightly narrowed eyes, “Is there something you want to say, Loki?”

Now your tone was laced with a warning, he knew that tone all too well because of your altercations in the past. But he turned those eyes back to you and you saw the way the color darkened, a sure sign that this was not going to be a pleasant conversation for much longer.

“Oh, there is quite a lot I'd like to say, Y/N. Your coming to Asgard was insanity, nearly suicide from the way you ran that pretty little mouth to the Allfather." He started as he turned in his chair so that he was facing you rather than looking across at Frigga as he spoke.

“It was your fault I came here in the first place because you've been gone without a word nearly a month now, Loki!" You snapped back at him as that fire burned brighter inside you, all those pent up emotions and hormones roiling together inside you.

“That doesn't mean you just hop through the Bifrost to come to Asgard to find me! I wasn't aware that being with child also made you lose your intelligence.” Loki growled right back at you and you stiffened at those words that had just fallen from his lips.

Frigga looked from one of you to the other, rising from her chair but remaining quiet for the moment. She knew you both needed this, but she also knew that it was starting to get to be too intense, the emotions were running too high. Loki wouldn't hurt you, that she was sure of, but she knew that getting too upset was not going to help you any.

You stood up from your chair and Loki was quick to do the same as you faced him completely, “My intelligence? You left and I didn't know if you were alive or dead! I didn't know if my child was going to have to grow up without a father, because no one told me anything. Not one word from you, or your shit of a brother!”

There were tears stinging your eyes and you stubbornly held them back as Loki's eyes widened a little and he reached out toward you, “Y/N, I didn't mean it like that..”

Before his hand could touch you, you smacked it away, “No, you don't get to just act like everything is okay, Loki! I worried over you, begged for you to hear me and just let me know you were okay, that you were coming home again.”

Loki's eyes looked somewhat pained and he reached for you again, grasping your upper arms but you squirmed one free and your hand landed solidly across his cheek. Shocking not only him but yourself and Frigga as well. That was when the first tear slid down your cheek as you looked up at him, trembling in his grip but not out of fear. Never out of fear of him.

The room was quiet as you all stood there, your mind replaying your conversation with Steve and Bucky over breakfast the other day. And it only caused more tears to come as you gazed up at Loki, who looked torn between anger and pain right now.

“If you're so angry with me, why did you come here, Y/N?" He spoke carefully, letting go of your arms and standing to his full height.

Reaching up, you wiped at your eyes a little and then gave a pitiful half laugh, “Why? Because I fell in love with you, and being in love makes people do stupid things!”

His quick intake of breath was expected, you'd shocked him to some degree, but you were having a hard time focusing on that right now. Your thoughts were running completely out of control, wanting to tell him all the things you'd felt while he'd been gone. The fear of him dying, thoughts of him being injured and in pain without you there to help care for him. Your daughter being unable to ever meet her father, the way you had ached to have him hold you in his arms as you slept.

Looking at him now though, you went very still at the look on his face, in his eyes as he stood there in front of you. He looked like he couldn't believe what he'd heard come out of your mouth, and it was only then that you realized why you probably shouldn't have said that.

Frigga moved forward as you looked away from Loki, your heart racing as you cursed at yourself for daring to let those words come from you just yet.

A warm hand on your shoulder had you glancing up to see Frigga there with compassion and concern in her eyes, “Please, calm yourself a little, Y/N.”

It wasn't what you wanted to see and hear though, your heart aching from the way Loki had looked so disbelieving when you'd told him how you felt.

“I...I'm sorry...I shouldn't have come here.." The words came out shaky, strained as you struggled to hold back those tears that threatened to pour out now.

She shook her head and reached up with her other hand, but you turned away and bolted for the door as fast as your feet could carry you. God, you were an idiot, telling Loki something like that in front of Frigga, or rather telling him any of that at all. You should have just stayed on Earth and waited for him to come back, no matter how hard that would have been for you.

“Y/N, stop!" His voice rang through the hallway and you heard the sound of his footsteps behind you, a mixture of emotions bombarding you at that moment.

Everything seemed like a blur as you ran, your heartbeat loud in your ears and your breath coming quickly, almost too quickly. And it wasn't until you felt your world tilt that you realized that none of this had been a good idea in your condition. It all happened quickly after that, the world around you spinning as you struggled to catch your breath and bring your world back into focus.

Loki somehow managed to catch you before you fell, concern clear on his face as he held you gently, “Are you alright? Y/N?”

You vaguely felt him shaking you a bit, but your vision was blurring and darkening as he held you close against his chest, “I'm..sorry..”

“Don't close your eyes! Look at me! Y/N!”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

You shifted a little as your eyes opened sleepily, the dim lighting of the room still making you squint a little as you lifted your hands to softly rub your eyes. The memories from earlier slowly trickled back through your mind and you frowned as you dropped your hands away. Glancing to your left to see that you were back in the room you shared with Loki in the tower.

Pushing yourself up a little, you looked around the room and felt your heart clench at the absence of Loki himself there in the room. Like you had somehow thought he'd be there, and when he wasn't it hurt more than you thought that it would. He, or someone else, had put you in your pajamas and you leaned against the headboard of the bed, reaching up to wipe your eyes with your sleeve.

God you were an idiot to think that going to Asgard had been a good idea, that telling Loki you loved him was a good idea. Pulling your knees up as best you could, you curled in on yourself as the first quiet sob left you, so heartbroken that Loki had seemingly abandoned you. After all, what other reason was there for why you were back on Earth and he wasn't with you?

The dip of the bed beside you had you lifting your head quickly, e/c shining with your tears as your gaze landed on the person beside you. Your eyes widened a little as Loki settled there next to you, his eyes holding your gaze as he reached out to cup your cheek. His thumb wiped some of your tears away before he moved his hand and brushed away some of the tears on your other cheek.

“I'm so sorry, Y/N. Please don't cry.” Loki's voice was strained as he edged a little closer, his gaze guarded as he brought his hand back to softly cup your cheek.

Shaking your head a little, you tried to stop the flow of tears, “It was my fault for going to Asgard in the first place.”

You paused there and he stayed quiet as he slipped a handkerchief out of seemingly nowhere to offer to you to help dry your eyes. Taking it from him, you wiped gently at your eyes and sniffled a little before glancing back up at him. The concern was so clear in his eyes, as was the guilt and care he felt, things you knew he wouldn't normally let someone see.

Taking a breath, Loki reached out and hugged you to him, cradling your head against his chest as he rested his head against yours. Your arms lifted for a moment, hesitating before finally wrapping around his waist, clutching at the fabric of his tunic as he held you. This was what you'd been missing, not just someone holding you, but _Loki_ holding you.

“You scared me when you passed out. You were so pale and you wouldn't wake up, Y/N. For a moment I thought I'd lost you both.” He whispered against your hair and you only held him tighter, trying to comfort him while drawing your own comfort from the feel of his embrace.

“I don't remember anything after I ran out of that room. But when I woke up and you weren't here, I thought...” You trailed off and shook your head a little, pressing further into his arms as he lifted one of his hands to comb through your hair.

“Foolish girl, you thought I'd abandoned you.” He chided softly as he kept combing his fingers through your hair as he spoke.

Sighing a little, he hugged you a bit closer against his chest, “I was angry with you for coming to Asgard, because of the risk you took. Not just with the Bifrost, but with the threat of everyone knowing it was my child you carried. I didn't want you to be hurt, I didn't want our child to be taken from us.”

You shifted and lifted your head to look up at him, parting your lips to speak before his finger against your lips stopped you, “When you fell unconscious, I was angry at myself for upsetting you. My mother took charge and saw to your care, assuring me that you and the child were safe. But that you were exhausted, not sleeping or eating well, because of my absence.”

Sliding his hands up and around, he cupped your face between them and met your gaze as openly as he could, “I will not leave you like that again, but promise me that you won't allow yourself to end up in such a state again, Y/N.”

Before he'd even finished speaking, you were nodding back to him, “I promise, I won't do it again. Loki I'm sorry for everything, I just wanted to know you were safe and to have you come home.”

His lips twitched upward with a hint of a smile before he shifted, settling onto the bed beside you and pulling you in against his chest, “My dear, you let that be quite known the moment you stormed through the doors of Asgard's palace. Quite like a valkyrie heading into battle, and there are whispers about you facing down the Allfather in his own throne room.”

A blush rose up on your face as he spoke, and you were again reminded of that brilliant display of idiocy back at the palace, “Oh god...I'm so sorry for that...”

“You need not be sorry. Despite how foolish it was, seeing the way you defended myself and my child was quite beautiful. While the child is more than deserving, I'm not quite sure that I am equally as deserving.” He commented in return as one of his hands started stroking your back softly, soothingly.

“I've told you before, you're not half as bad as you seem to think you are.” You said back to him with a small smile as you relaxed into the comfort of being with him again.

“Is that because you truly think so, or because of your love for me?” Loki asked as he tilted his head down to look at you, to watch your reactions.

“A little of both. Because the first time I said that, I wasn't in love with you at all. Now that I am, I'm more sure of the fact that you're not as bad as you think you are.” Lifting your head, you locked gazes with him and smiled tiredly.

Taking a slight breath, he nodded and leaned in to rest his forehead against yours, “Say it again, Y/N.”

Sliding one of your hands up between the two of you, you softly stroked his cheek, “I love you, Loki.”

The tension seemed to drain out of him with those words, his arms gathering you close to his chest as he nosed against your hair a little. He didn't say anything back and you didn't expect him to, but the tenderness was there in the way he held you to himself. And it was something you took an odd comfort in, him not saying it back right now, because you could tell he wasn't quite there yet.

There was still that uncertainty on his part, but you didn't mind showing him your own feelings for him, he needed it. Needed to know that Frigga wasn't the only one who loved him, that you were there for him even if the two of you had arguments like you'd had on Asgard.

Curling your arms around him, you pressed as close as you could get to him, letting his scent and warmth wrap around you. His gentle attentions helping to lull you off to sleep. You could deal with the rest of it when you woke up again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, REDISTRIBUTE, OR TRANSLATE THIS WORK ANYWHERE ELSE WITHOUT MY EXPRESS PERMISSION FIRST.

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, REDISTRIBUTE, OR TRANSLATE THIS WORK ANYWHERE ELSE WITHOUT MY EXPRESS PERMISSION FIRST.


End file.
